Front Yard Tents

A poor man's arbor, a porte-cochere for the less fortunate, or just another unsightly garden accoutrement?



Want shade? Plant a tree, or use your front porch for crimineysakes. Need protection for your car? Put it in a garage, a back-yard car port, or under a car cover.




This tent is decorated with Christmas lights, a tactless and insulting declaration of status and permanency. After all, would you ring lights around a front porch umbrella stand, spotlight your composting chamber, or dress your sprinklers with flowery tassels?






Gosh, what ugly neighborhood-degrading thing can I put in my front yard?

How about a weight set? It'd be nice to lift beneath the clean-smelling Eucalyptus trees. Who cares if the cast iron plates and silvery Olympic bar collect bird droppings and become streaked in a coppery rust color.

I could set up an outdoor workshop, with large power tools fixed to a concrete base. Plentiful light, easy access, and a shady north side would make me the envy of many a woodworker. Furthermore, think of the public service: the late afternoon breezes would blow mulch-enhancing saw dust into many a neighboring yard, improving azelea and camelia blooms.

But really, who cares about others?